WWF RAW 2/14/2000

written by Adam King

WWF RAW IS WAR
Monday, February 14th, 2000
Live from the San Jose Arena in San Jose, CA

List of WWF Champions at the time:
WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (1/03/2000)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Jericho (1/23/2000)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: The New Age Outlaws (11/08/1999)
WWF European Champion: Kurt Angle (2/10/2000)
WWF Hardcore Champion: Test (1/17/2000)
WWF Women’s Champion: Jacqueline (2/03/2000)
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Essa Rios (2/13/2000)

~ Raw comes on the air and goes right to the intro without a recap. After that Jim Ross welcomes us to this special late-night edition along with Jerry “The King” Lawler.

~ Things kick off with Chris Benoit leading the other three Radicalz to the ring for our opening segment. Triple H and D-Generation X soon join them in the ring with Tori sporting a neck brace from Kane’s Tombstone. Stephanie McMahon is on the mic first and starts us off by showing Kane Tombstoning Tori last Thursday on the TitanTron. Stephanie feels Kane would have let Tori go had the fans not pressed him into pile driving a defenseless woman. so she holds the fans responsible for the suffering Tori endured and promises to give them more suffering tonight. Triple H takes over the mic and claims he and his partners may have been going too easy on their adversaries lately and that people may think kindness is a weakness, Triple says starting tonight there will be no more weaknesses then proceeds to book tonight’s card starting with Grandmaster Sexay vs. Road Dogg and Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Billy Gunn. Triple H next turns to Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko and has them teaming in a handicap match against Rikishi. Triple H then claims The Rock probably won’t make it to No Way Out after he takes on Chris Benoit one-on-one. Finally Triple H addresses Kane saying he needs to be taught how to respect women and treat them as equals and that he can’t attack Tori just because he couldn’t satisfy her while X-Pac is more than able to. Triple H says Kane wants one more shot at X-Pac and suggests a no-holds-barred match with him at No Way Out and X-Pac is not happy with that, until Triple H says Kane must first defeat himself and a partner of his choosing tonight. Suddenly Too Cool, Rikishi, Kane and The Rock all file out then rush the ring and a massive brawl breaks out. Eventually The Rock and friends clear the DX/Radicalz army from the ring and send them retreating up the ramp.

Jeff Hardy (w/Matt Hardy) vs. Edge (w/Christian) vs. D’Von Dudley (w/Bubba Raw Dudley) – #1 Contender’s Match
The winner of this triple-threat match will get his team a Tag Team Title shot at No Way Out. As the three teams come out clips are shown of the Dudleys putting various individuals through tables. Jeff and Edge team up against D’Von to start then whip him into a double flapjack. Jeff wails on D’Von when Edge shoves him aside to get in his own shots but both men soon go back to double-teaming D’Von. Both men whip D’Von into a corner and Edge drops down while Jeff launches off him for the Poetry in Motion. Edge stomps D’Von down then trips Jeff with a drop toehold causing him to head butt D’Von below the belt. Both men whip D’Von into the other corner and Jeff drops down allowing Edge to go for a flying cross body but this time D’Von dodges it causing Edge to crash into the turnbuckles. D’Von hits a clothesline on Jeff and clotheslines Edge over the ropes then slams Jeff to the mat and hits an elbow drop for a two count. D’Von hits a vertical suplex for another two count then goes for a suplex as Edge climbs to the top rope. Jeff floats over D’Von and shoves him into a missile dropkick from Edge but that knocks Jeff down as well. Bubba hops onto the apron but Matt pulls him back off and he and Christian hit a double suplex onto the floor. Edge gets D’Von with an O’Connor roll but Jeff tosses Edge over the ropes and hits D’Von with a neck breaker. Jeff climbs to the top rope and connects with the Senton Bomb but Edge makes it back in to save it. Jeff and Edge exchange shoves before catching D’Von with a right hand and Jeff throws Edge back to the mat. Jeff goes for a whip, D’Von reverses him into a corner but Jeff runs up the ropes and back flips over him. Jeff charges at D’Von who sidesteps him and Edge goes to spear D’Von but misses him while nailing Jeff. Edge just shrugs at this but D’Von hits the Curtain Call from behind and gets the pin. (3:01) So as a result it’ll be the Dudleys challenging the New Age Outlaws for the belts at the pay-per-view. Felt a little too short but still had its fun moments. The Dudleys depart celebrating their title shot while the Hardys and E&C exchange words in the ring. **

~ We then find Mark Henry and Mae Young checking into nearby hotel and trying to get a room for the two of them. Henry asks for the honeymoon suite and the clerk tries to keep a straight face as Henry signs in and takes the key. Yes, folks, be afraid.

~ Back from break we get an exterior shot of the San Jose Arena.

Road Dogg vs. Grandmaster Sexay
As usual Road Dogg ignores his heel status by coming out to the ring and doing his usual spiel on the mic. Road Dogg attacks Sexay during his dancing and mocks him before whipping him but Sexay slides under him and hits a move not unlike the Stroke. Road Dogg rolls out to the floor when Sexay hits a baseball slide then rams Road Dogg into the ring steps before throwing him back in the ring. Sexay whips Road Dogg and Road Dogg comes back with a forearm then busts his own move but Sexay is back up and connects with a super kick for a two count. Sexay goes for a whip, Road Dogg reverses him into a corner but eats a kick. Sexay hops to the middle rope and hits a bulldog then goes for a running bulldog but Road Dogg shoves Sexay off into the turnbuckles. Road Dogg whips Sexay and hits a boot to the head for two then applies a chin lock. Sexay tries to fight out of it when Road Dogg stops that and goes for a suplex but Sexay blocks it and straddles Road Dogg onto the top rope. Sexay hits several clotheslines and goes for a whip, Road Dogg reverses it but lowers the head and Sexay manages to hit a DDT. Sexay whips Road Dogg into a corner and hits a power slam then climbs to the top rope and goes for the Tennessee Leg Jam but misses it and Road Dogg quickly follows that up with the pump handle slam to put this one away. (4:11) Okay through unmemorable match. *½

~ Back at the hotel we find Mark Henry and Mae Young getting off an elevator and heading for their room. Henry carries Mae across the threshold into the room then hangs a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on the doorknob. I really wish this was the end of this angle but unfortunately we’ll be seeing more of it before the night’s out.

~ The Godfather, D’Lo Brown and their entourage of ladies are shown heading to the ring as we go to commercial.

Al Snow (w/Head) & Steve Blackman vs. The Godfather & D’Lo Brown (w/the ladies)
After the Godfather’s posse climbs in the ring Godfather gets on the mic and does the usual spiel. We then cut backstage and find Al Snow trying to hypnotize Steve Blackman into having a personality. Blackman just deadpans through it and stuffs the watch in Snow’s mouth as they head out to the ring. Once Snow and Blackman come out Godfather suggests they party instead but Blackman just blows him off. So Godfather calls him “Head Cheese” prompting the crowd to chant the same as Blackman yells at Snow for this. Snow and Godfather lockup to start and Godfather appliers a headlock, Snow shoves him into the ropes but Godfather comes back with a shoulder block. Godfather goes for a hip toss and Snow blocks it so Godfather knocks him down. Godfather goes for an elbow drop but misses and Snow gets in some shots. Godfather applies a headlock, Snow shoves him into the ropes and Blackman nails Godfather from behind allowing Snow to deck him with a right hand. Snow then says something to Blackman about the women but Blackman tells him to pay attention to the match. Meanwhile D’Lo tags in and spins Snow around for some shots then whips him and connects with a heel kick. Snow rakes D’Lo’s face and slams him to the mat then tags Blackman in but D’Lo trips him with a drop toehold. D’Lo whips Blackman but misses a clothesline and Blackman works him over with kicks then hits a dropkick. Blackman comes off the ropes with a shoulder tackle but looks out and finds Snow distracted by the women. D’Lo suddenly rolls Blackman up from behind and gets the three, handing this duo its first loss as a team. (1:29) Nothing to really talk about here either. *

~ Back at the hotel Mark Henry and Mae Young are enjoying an intimate moment with Henry reciting some poetry. Mae then heads out to slip into something more comfortable (*shudder*) while Henry waits with excitement. Why is the cameraman even in the room shooting this if it says ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ on the door anyway?

~ We then find The Rock backstage pacing around in deep thought as we go to commercial.

~ The Wrestlemania 2000 countdown says we’re just 7 weeks away from the big event.

~ Back from break Kurt Angle makes his way out to the ring while getting on the mic for more promo time. Angle starts by saying things have changed in Europe for the better ever since he won the European Title last Thursday; the economy has improved, suicide rates are down and tourism has shot up 16.4%. Angle then says in America the stock market has plummeted and towns like San Jose continue to fall into depression ever since Chris Jericho won the Intercontinental Title since he represents the U.S. Angle thus feels it’s his job and duty as an American hero to save America the very same way he saved Europe so he challenges Chris Jericho to an IC Title match at No Way Out feeling he’d be a better champion than him. Angle calls Jericho out to accept but. Jericho doesn’t come out so Angle says Jericho is probably in Hollywood with Chyna who he claims disgraced herself on The Tonight Show. After show a clip of Chyna’s appearance Angle says he was on the show once after the Olympics and had decency. Angle starts to talk about living by his three ‘I’s’ when Jericho finally appears on the stage to interrupt him with a mic. Jericho addresses Angle’s claim of America falling into a decline by saying America fell asleep while Angle was talking. Jericho isn’t sure he wants to give Angle a title shot but decides he does want to give him a beating tonight then charges in the ring and goes at it with Angle. Angle whips him but Jericho hits a clothesline and continues to pound on Angle. A swarm of referees come into the ring and try to pull the two apart and Angle rolls out to the floor when Chyna makes her way down to ringside and DDT’s Angle into the floor. Chyna then goes in the ring and raises Jericho’s arm as Angle is helped from the ring.

~ We then cut back to the hotel and find Mark Henry under the covers waiting for his *ugh* Valentine to come out. Mae eventually comes out and …. you know what I can’t finish recapping this segment. Let’s just please move on. And seriously, why is the cameraman even in the room filming this? You’d think Henry would want some privacy.

~ Back in the arena we find Jerry Lawler ready to toss his lunch after viewing that. Along with the rest of America.

The Rock vs. Chris Benoit (w/Eddie Guerrero)
Both men exchange shots to start and Rock gets the advantage with a knee lift and caps off with an elbow. Rock lays the boots to Benoit when Benoit starts to fight back and hammers away on Rock in a corner. Rock regains the advantage and goes for a whip, Benoit reverses it but lowers the head and Rock kicks the face but Benoit comes back with a clothesline. Benoit hits a snap suplex followed by a backbreaker for a two count then goes for a whip but Rock reverses it and hits a swinging neck breaker that gets a two count. Rock chokes Benoit on the middle rope and goes for a whip but Benoit reverses it and Eddie grabs Rock’s ankle from the floor. Rock takes a swing at Eddie when Benoit hits an elbow for a near fall and stomps Rock out to the apron. Earl Hebner pulls Benoit back but Eddie gets in several cheap shots. Benoit goes out after Rock on the floor but Rock comes back and rams Benoit into the barricade. Benoit throws Rock shoulder-first into the ring post then pops Rock onto the announce table and whacks him with a chair while Eddie distracts Hebner off-camera. Benoit then throws Rock back in the ring and covers him but only gets two. Rock again starts to fight back but Benoit stops that and takes Rock down with a leg sweep then goes into a cross arm breaker as Rock blocks it. Benoit eventually releases the hold and chops Rock then goes for a whip but Rock reverses and hits a clothesline. However Rock misses with a right hand enabling Benoit to hit a back suplex but that only gets a two count. Rock drills Benoit with a DDT and covers him but Eddie hops on the apron to distract Hebner from making the count. Rock goes over and pops Eddie off the ropes then turns back when Benoit slaps on the Crippler Cross face! Rock tries to hold on as he inches his way toward the ropes and manages to grab the bottom rope for the break. Benoit chops Rock in a corner but Rock reverses positions and hammers Benoit then hits the Smackdown. Rock whips Benoit into a Samoan Drop for a two count then whips him again and plants him with a spine buster. Rock clotheslines Benoit over the ropes then goes out and throws Benoit back in. Suddenly The Big Show makes his way down the ramp and blindsides Rock while Eddie distracts Hebner again. Show throws Rock back in the ring and Benoit hits a bridge suplex that gets the 1..2..3!! Benoit pins the Rock!! (7:43) Good match (thought not a great as the match they would have at Fully Loaded) and Rock actually put Benoit over even if it wasn’t totally clean. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was done just to flip the bird to WCW. Anyway as Benoit and Eddie celebrate Rock goes out after Show on the ramp and hammers away on him on the stage. However Benoit and Eddie come to Show’s aid and Show stomps Rock down before throwing him in the ring. Benoit then climbs to the top rope and connects with the diving head butt and the trio leaves Rock lying. ***

~ Back from break we get a replay of The Big Show helping Chris Benoit score the win over The Rock. Backstage Michael Cole interviews Show on how he feels about his actions with Show calling it a work of art. Show says that’s a small taste of with Rock can expect at No Way Out and adds he’s going to Wrestlemania.

~ We then check in on Mark Henry and Mae Young at the hotel. And I’m going to skip this segment and move on. The sad part is the worst part of this whole angle is still to come several weeks later.

Billy Gunn (w/Road Dogg) vs. Scotty 2 Hotty (w/Grandmaster Sexay)
Road Dogg does a modified version of the spiel on the mic before letting Billy finish with the two words. Both men lockup to start and Billy forces Scotty into a corner then beats him down and slams him to the mat. Billy slams Scotty a second time then hops to the middle rope and leaps off but Scotty belts him in the chest. Scotty gets in his shots and whips Billy into a dropkick then goes for another whip but Billy holds onto the ropes. Scotty eventually whips Billy into a corner then comes off the ropes with the bulldog and hits the Worm. Scotty goes for another whip but Billy counters with a knee to the chest and follows up with the Jackhammer. Billy whips Scotty into a corner and goes for a splash but Sexay hops on the apron and nails Billy with a right hand enabling Scotty to roll him up for the three. (1:59) Seemed like they just wanted to blow through this one. Scotty celebrates when Billy clotheslines him and throws him over the ropes even though he lost the match. *

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly stands outside The Rock’s door and says we’ll soon hear from him as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Scotty 2 Hotty scoring an upset over Billy Gunn.

WWF Light Heavyweight Title: Essa Rios (w/Lita) © vs. Crash Holly (w/Hardcore Holly)
So for the first time in 15 months this title is being defended on Raw after being dragged out of mothballs the previous night on Heat. As Rios makes his way out to the ring with Lita they show the former Papi Chulo defeating Gillberg for the belt. Hardcore joins the commentary saying Crash has decided to go away from super heavyweight competition. Crash starts off by locking knuckles with Rios then runs up the ropes and flips back in but misses a clothesline. Rios gets his own knuckle lock then runs up the ropes and springboards back in the ring hitting an arm drag. Rios goes for a monkey flip when Crash sets him on the top rope but Rios comes back with a tornado DDT. Rios chops Crash and goes for a whip and they trade reversals until Crash trips Rios into the middle rope. Crash whips Rios into a corner and goes for a splash but Rios sidesteps it and Crash straddles the turnbuckles. Rios hits a neck breaker off the ropes for a two count then whips Crash and connects with a spinning heel kick. Rios whips Crash again and Crash bails out to the floor but Rios leaps off the apron and hits a huricanrana. Rios rolls back in the ring when Lita climbs onto the steps and connects with her own huricanrana on Crash. Crash rolls back in himself when Rios hits a vertical suplex then climbs to the top and connects with a moonsault for the pin. (2:37) Solid enough match. Lita then climbs to the top rope and hits her own moonsault on Crash and Rios counts a three for her while Hardcore expresses his disgust at a super-heavyweight being beaten by a lightweight and a woman. **

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly is still waiting to grab an interview with the Rock as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Crash suffering moonsaults from both Essa Rios and Lita. We then find the Holly cousins still in the ring as Hardcore gets on the mic to give Crash the business. Hardcore accidentally calls Crash “Elroy” as he berates him for embarrassing himself and the Holly family, pointing out that Crash not only lost to a light-heavyweight wrestler but let a woman beat him as well. Hardcore mentions Crash’s problems with women then orders him to leave the ring and see how it’s really done.

Hardcore Holly vs. Tazz
Hardcore attacks Tazz as he climbs in the ring and goes for a whip when Tazz reverses him into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Hardcore whips Tazz into a corner and hits a power slam for a two count. Both men exchange punches and Hardcore gets the advantage and whips Tazz but lowers the head and Tazz kicks the face. Hardcore comes back with an Atomic Drop and follows up with a clothesline for a near fall. Tazz again fights back but Hardcore rakes the face then chokes him in the middle rope as Crash looks on. Hardcore distracts the referee while Crash chokes Tazz on the ropes then whips Tazz and hits the dropkick. Hardcore celebrates when Tazz comes up and hits a Northern Light Tazplex that gets a two count. Tazz hits a clothesline then trips Hardcore with a drop toehold and follows up with some cross face shots. Tazz goes for a whip, Hardcore reverses it and leapfrogs over him but Tazz slaps on the Tazzmission. When Crash runs in and nails Tazz to break up the hold getting his cousin DQ’ed. (2:19) Once again nothing much here. Tazz dumps Crash on his head with a belly-to-belly Tazplex and stomps him out to the floor and Hardcore argues with Crash as they both head up the ramp. *

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly looks to finally get an interview Rock as he comes out of his dressing room. Instead Rock just shoves Kevin aside and walks off without even embarrassing Kevin this time around.

Rikishi Phatu vs. Perry Saturn & Dean Malenko – Handicap Match
Saturn and Malenko attack Rikishi from behind to start and sandwich him with a pair of clotheslines. Saturn and Malenko then hit a double Atomic Drop but end up hurting their knees instead and Rikishi clotheslines both of them. Rikishi whips Malenko and hits a Diamond Cutter-like move and follows that up with a Samoan Drop on Saturn. Saturn and Malenko end up in a corner but Rikishi backs up into them and debuts the Stink face as he rubs his rear into Saturn’s face. Saturn slips out of the corner but Malenko is unable to escape and also gets Rikishi’s rear in his face as well. However Saturn comes back with a clothesline and Malenko follows up with a heel kick that takes Rikishi down. Both men make a wish then hit a double dropkick The duo then go for a double suplex but can’t seem to get Rikishi up and Rikishi manages to suplex both of them at once. Rikishi hits them with right hands and whips Malenko into a corner then goes for the running butt splash when Saturn pulls Malenko out of the way and hits a chop in the corner. Both men whip then Rikishi into the opposite corner and Saturn whips Malenko into Rikishi for a clothesline but Rikishi no-sells it and clotheslines Malenko then blocks a super kick from Saturn and hits his own. Rikishi drills Malenko with the sit-down pile driver then looks for the Banzai Drop when Saturn tries to stop him. Rikishi sets Saturn up for the pile driver and Saturn slips out of it but Rikishi hits a belly-to-belly suplex then drags both men into position and starts climbing up the ropes looking for the Banzai Drop. Suddenly Eddie Guerrero runs out to the ring with a pipe and whacks Rikishi’s ankle and there’s your DQ. (3:20) Had its moments but like most of the other matches nothing to really see here. Eddie then whacks Rikishi in the back while Saturn climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick. Malenko takes the pipe and attacks Rikishi’s ankle when Too Cool runs in to make the save. *½

~ The Helmsleys are shown walking to the ring for the main event as we go to commercial.

Kane (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Triple H (w/Stephanie McMahon) & ?????? – No-Disqualification Handicap Match
After Kane comes out first the Helmsleys make their entrance and they’re followed by .. X-Pac and Tori? Triple H leads his group down the ramp as JR assumes X-Pac must surely be Triple H’s partner, until Triple H points to the back and brings out his real partner for the match … The Big Show. Kane pulls Triple H in the ring during his posing and tries to keep Show and X-Pac form entering the ring then grabs Triple H by the throat but Show breaks it up and takes over while Triple H heads to the corner. So it’s a no-DQ handicap match yet they’re going to tag in and out. Show stomps Kane in a corner and head butts him then hammers him with right hands but Kane shrugs them off and starts to fight back. Kane goes for a whip, Show reverses it but lowers the head and Kane uppercuts him. Kane goes for another whip but Show reverses it again and this time hits a choke bomb for a two count. Show hits another head butt then tags Triple H in and Triple H stomps Kane down and hammers away on him. Triple H goes for a whip, Kane reverses it but lowers the head allowing Triple H to hit the face buster. Triple H follows up with the high knee and elbow drops Kane for a two count then rams him into Show’s boot. Show tags in for a double-team and hits a Russian leg sweep then goes for the knee drop but Kane sits up. Show whips Kane hard into a corner then tags Triple H back in but Kane comes back with uppercuts. Kane whips Triple H but lowers the head and Triple H hits a DDT for a two count. Show tags back in and elbows Kane in the back of the head then chops him in a corner and caps off with another head butt. Triple H tags in and exchanges shots with Kane who gets the advantage with uppercuts. Kane whips Triple H and again lowers the head and Triple H kicks the face but this time Kane comes back with a clothesline. Kane whips Triple H into a boot when Show nails him from behind. Show whips Kane but misses a clothesline and Kane hits his clothesline but Triple H low blows Kane in return. Show works Kane over and hits a sidewalk slam while X-Pac passes a chair to Triple H who sets it down on the mat then sets Kane up for a Pedigree onto the chair. Suddenly The Rock charges in to come to Kane’s aid but runs right into a choke slam from Show. Triple H goes back to the Pedigree but Kane counters it with a backdrop and grabs him for his own choke slam. Before Kane can hit it Show breaks it up and X-Pac comes in to help Show double-team Kane in a corner. Now Cactus Jack appears and knocks Tori out of the way as he heads in the ring to even up the odds. Cactus goes right after Triple H and knocks him through the ropes while Show works Rock over in a corner. Show then turns back to Kane and whips him into a boot while Cactus and Triple H fight it out on the floor. Show goes to power bomb Kane when Rock whacks him in the back with the chair and Kane choke slams him for the three, getting the win and his match with X-Pac at No Way Out. (7:19) Decent enough main event. After the match the action continues as Kane goes after X-Pac on the floor and throws him into the ring post. Meanwhile Rock goes for the People’s Elbow on the fallen Show but Triple H trips him as he hits the ropes. Everyone soon ends up in the ring but Cactus brings a wrench into the ring and clears out all the heels. Kane, Cactus and Rock all stare down their respective pay-per-view opponents as Raw goes off the air. **

Conclusion: This week was definitely a step down from the previous shows, although the fact that it was shown two hours later than usual may have been the main problem. The first hour had two long promo segments, three subpar matches and all those horrible Mark Henry/Mae Young vignettes. The second half led off with Chris Benoit beating The Rock in the only worthwhile match on this card but then the show coasted until the hot finish in the main event, though it did have more in-ring action. At least there were several more matches built for the pay-per-view but all-in-all not a great showing for Raw this time around.